A Call to Repentance

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

^10 (A)Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness

4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I ^(B)fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a ^(C)gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. ^3 (D)Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for ^(E)it is better for me to die than to live!”

⁴ Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

⁵ So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶ And the Lord God prepared a ^[a]plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah ^[b]was very grateful for the plant. ⁷ But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. ⁸ And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, ^(F)“It is better for me to die than to live.”

⁹ Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”

¹⁰ But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which ^[c]came up in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should I not pity Nineveh, ^(G)that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons ^(H)who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

Walking in the Spirit

¹⁶ I say then: ^(A)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(B)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, ^(C)so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But ^(D)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now ^(E)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: ^[a]adultery, ^[b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, ^[c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that ^(F)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But ^(G)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(H)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, ^(I)goodness, ^(J)faithfulness, ^23 [d]gentleness, self-control. ^(K)Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s ^(L)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ^25 (M)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ^26 (N)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Greeting

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

^2 (A)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Final Judgment and Glory

³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, ⁴ so that ^(B)we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God ^(C)for your patience and faith ^(D)in all your persecutions and ^[a]tribulations that you endure, ⁵ which is ^(E)manifest^[b] evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, ^(F)for which you also suffer;

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brethren, ^(A)pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and ^(B)that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; ^(C)for not all have faith.

³ But ^(D)the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and ^(E)guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And ^(F)we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

⁵ Now may ^(G)the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Appreciation of the Mystery

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the ^(A)Father ^[a]of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, ^(B)according to the riches of His glory, ^(C)to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in ^(D)the inner man, ^17 (E)that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, ^(F)being rooted and grounded in love, ^18 (G)may be able to comprehend with all the saints ^(H)what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled ^(I)with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now ^(J)to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly ^(K)above all that we ask or think, ^(L)according to the power that works in us, ^21 (M)to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of ^(A)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, ^(B)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And ^(C)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body ^[a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

^4 (D)Love suffers long and is ^(E)kind; love ^(F)does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not ^[b]puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, ^(G)does not seek its own, is not provoked, ^[c]thinks no evil; ^6 (H)does not rejoice in iniquity, but ^(I)rejoices in the truth; ^7 (J)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ^9 (K)For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is ^[d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For ^(L)now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then ^(M)face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.